Tragic Accident - Rock Climber's death

ML242 posted this on TGR which he found from icelandicskier posting it somewhere else... but I thought I should share with you all.

"It was late afternoon, and Rodolph and three others had been on the rim of the canyon for about an hour. They hadn't see anyone else around.

Now looking over the edge, Rodolph didn't see anyone below him, either.

'I picked up a rock and threw it off,' he said. 'Looked over just a little further to watch it fall, see where it was going to hit, you know, kinda leaned out further than what I was comfortable with normally, and watched it hit Pete Absolon.' "

Full article Here

An awful, heartwrenching story.

Throwing stones is a natural human behavior.  In this case, it sounds like a popular hiking trail used by many who aren't climbers ends at the top of a pitch that climbers frequent.  Might be a good spot for a sign explaining and probihiting the throwing of objects over the edge.

I've seen people trigger avalanches from a cornice for the entertainment value, and wondered about potential consequences.

Harvey44 wrote

Throwing stones is a natural human behavior.  In this case, it sounds like a popular hiking trail used by many who aren't climbers ends at the top of a pitch that climbers frequent.  Might be a good spot for a sign explaining and probihiting the throwing of objects over the edge.

I've seen people trigger avalanches from a cornice for the entertainment value, and wondered about potential consequences.

This is not a case of skipping stones at the beach.  The guy threw a 15-20 pound rock over the cliff.  This is no more "natural human behavior" than cutting down a tree for the "thrill" of seeing it fall (or triggering an avalanche I suppose).  It is reckless, destructive stupidity..  It's bad enough when kids do stuff like that, for an adult it's just inexcusable.  We don't need signs, we need people to exercise common sense.

I agree with Jeff...What was this guy thinking?

I'm with Jeff on this topic. After reading the article, I was not only struck by the sadness and stupidity of it all but amazed that the rock-thrower was not charged with manslaughter. I'm no lawyer but here are a couple of definitions:

Criminally negligent manslaughter is variously referred to as criminally negligent homicide in the United States....   It occurs where death results from serious negligence, or, in some jurisdictions, serious recklessness. A high degree of negligence is required to warrant criminal liability. A related concept is that of willful blindness, which is where a defendant intentionally puts himself in a position where he will be unaware of facts which would render him liable. Criminally negligent manslaughter occurs where there is an omission to act when there is a duty to do so, or a failure to perform a duty owed, which leads to a death.

...criminal negligence is a 'misfeasance or 'nonfeasance'..., where the fault lies in the failure to foresee and so allow otherwise avoidable dangers to manifest.

The guy had a duty to think, "I'm in the mountains, there might be other people above or below me, I should be careful." And also, "maybe I should see what or who is down there before I heave this boulder over the edge."

Apparently the fact that he was remorseful and a war vet played into the decision not to press charges. Drunk drivers are usually highly remorseful after they kill someone. Does that make it OK? Remorse is a key part of the "cycle of violence" in abusive relationships. After an abuser commits an act of violence, he (it is usually a he) is remorseful, seeks reconciliation and the whole thing starts over again. War vet? So what?

If this case went to court, at least it would raise public awareness and hopefully cause future morons to think twice before doing something colossally stupid. I am sure that the rock-thrower is going to live in a psychological prison of guilt for the rest of his life. I don't feel any sympathy for him but I hope he seeks counseling and turns this incident around into something positive and for both the public good and the benefit of the dead climber's family.

End of rant.


Edit: after discussing this with Blue Toes, who knows a lot about domestic violence due to her line of work, I want to clarify something. I did not mean to equate rock-thrower's actions with domestic violence or drunk driving. I did mean to point out that remorse is a common, and perhaps natural, human reaction after committing an act that is fundamentally wrong.

I missed this part... "Believing there was no one below, he picked up a 15- to 20-pound rock and threw it over the edge."  Even if you believed no one was below, that is pretty destructive, and worth some kind of penalty.  I was envision a rock the size of a quarter - but the size of the rock is probably irrelevant. I'd think any stone could kill or seriously injure a climber if it had a few hundred feet to reach terminal velocity.  

There are plenty against dumb things that humans do that end with tragic results. Drunk driving, etc. I was thinking about a time I threw a rock off the cliffs at Balm of Gilead. It was small and the odds of someone being in that ravine are nil, but that's not the point. Hell I'm more likely to be down in that saddle than anyone else. I won't ever do that again.

Another thing I missed - the article also said it was a new climbing route so the point is well taken, you can't have a rule against everything. Sometimes you have to hope for intelligence to overcome.

Sick Bird Rider wrote

I'm with Jeff on this topic. After reading the article, I was not only struck by the sadness and stupidity of it all but amazed that the rock-thrower was not charged with manslaughter. I'm no lawyer but here are a couple of definitions:

Criminally negligent manslaughter is variously referred to as criminally negligent homicide in the United States....   It occurs where death results from serious negligence, or, in some jurisdictions, serious recklessness. A high degree of negligence is required to warrant criminal liability. A related concept is that of willful blindness, which is where a defendant intentionally puts himself in a position where he will be unaware of facts which would render him liable. Criminally negligent manslaughter occurs where there is an omission to act when there is a duty to do so, or a failure to perform a duty owed, which leads to a death.

...criminal negligence is a 'misfeasance or 'nonfeasance'..., where the fault lies in the failure to foresee and so allow otherwise avoidable dangers to manifest.

The guy had a duty to think, "I'm in the mountains, there might be other people above or below me, I should be careful." And also, "maybe I should see what or who is down there before I heave this boulder over the edge."

Apparently the fact that he was remorseful and a war vet played into the decision not to press charges. Drunk drivers are usually highly remorseful after they kill someone. Does that make it OK? Remorse is a key part of the "cycle of violence" in abusive relationships. After an abuser commits an act of violence, he (it is usually a he) is remorseful, seeks reconciliation and the whole thing starts over again. War vet? So what?

If this case went to court, at least it would raise public awareness and hopefully cause future morons to think twice before doing something colossally stupid. I am sure that the rock-thrower is going to live in a psychological prison of guilt for the rest of his life. I don't feel any sympathy for him but I hope he seeks counseling and turns this incident around into something positive and for both the public good and the benefit of the dead climber's family.

End of rant.

+100

A few weeks ago, I was out West with my son. We were hiking in Zion National Park and there was a group of three guys, I'd guess all in their early 20's, who we kept "leap-frogging" on the trail. At one point, the trail we were on climbed up a cliff-side using a bunch of switchbacks. We had stopped for a short rest and these three guys went past us. When we caught up to them further up the trail, they had stopped to rest and one of them was throwing small stones off the cliff. I told him to stop throwing the rocks, pointing out that you never know if someone might be down below. Of course, he and his friends laughed and he told me what I could do with myself. Unfortunately, there weren't any Rangers around, so there wasn't much else I could do.

I really hope these guys hear about this story ... maybe, just maybe, they'd think twice the next time they're in the same situation.

Sorry, but people are friggin bung holes nowdays. Ask them for a little consideration or respect for others safety and they respond angrily.

13th lake has a movement to go motorless. Recently a 69 yr old man was fishing w/motor and 3 young guys in kayaks harassed him and then cut off his forward progress while beotchin about his motor. Others wrote in the comments how they're harassed while bank fishin w/kayakers going over their  fishing lines or beaching where they're fishing and going swimming.

Else where in the Nation, a lady on a public bus was slapping her child.  A man spoke to her about it. She hops on the cell phone and then when bus stops, 4 dudes show up with guns and open fire.

A 55 yr old guy in glens falls hears something hit his vehicle so he gets out to inspect damage. Three young guys emerge,argue, harass and then slice the man.

People react so much more violently than years ago. Even girls get violent now for little to no reason and severely beat people, strangers, as happened recently in Lake George.